ISTANBUL - A two-day summit bringing together leaders of the Islamic world concluded in the Turkish city of Istanbul with a pledge to combat terrorism, cast aside sectarian differences and address regional conflicts.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired the final session of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation summit on Friday morning. "As Muslims, we cannot overcome our difficulties without achieving unity in spite of our differences," he said at the closing ceremony held after a break for delegates to perform prayers.
The Turkish leader said that sectarianism, racism and terrorism are the three largest challenges confronting the Muslim world. He said establishing an international arbitration body in Istanbul was part of the OIC 2025 action plan.
Iyad Madani, the secretary general of the 57-member Islamic bloc, said more than 200 decisions were taken in the course of the summit.(AP)